In most sport utility vehicles (SUVs), the spare tire is located on the rear underside of the vehicle. A winch type mechanism includes a cable and yoke to couple the spare tire to the underside of the vehicle and permit ready access to the tire and rim when needed, such as a flat tire situation. However, a thief can easily cut the steel cable attached to the yoke and remove the spare tire and rim. Thus, the owner of the SUV will face the costly expense of replacing the entire winch mechanism, as well as the spare tire and the rim. Compounding this unfortunate situation is the fact that the SUV owner will not learn of the rim and tire theft until he or she attempts to access such in a time of need.
Accordingly, there is a need for a security device that provides a visual deterrent and an obstacle for a thief to access and severe the winch mechanism and thereby steal the spare tire and rim. Furthermore, there is a need for a security device that reasonably precludes access to the winch mechanism in order to secure a spare tire and rim to the underside of the vehicle. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which precedes with reference to the accompanying drawings.